WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – One of the program's most meaningful traditions, William & Mary cross country and track & field will host the 35th Annual Massey Cancer Center 5K on Friday, Nov. 4. 
 
Tribe fans, family, alums, and members of the Williamsburg community are invited to participate in the on-campus event, which gets underway at 5:30 p.m. at Zable Stadium. The 5K can be run, jogged, or walked as the field makes its way across the historic W&M campus. 
 
To donate or register for the run, visit teammassey.org/wm5k. For more information about the Massey Cancer Center 5K, please contact Alex Heacock, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, at (757) 221-3397 or aaheac@wm.edu. 
 
Originally an idea by Charles Crone, a board member of the MCV Foundation, and his wife Ginny, who received her MBA at William & Mary in 1983, the event has raised more than $300,000 for cancer research and treatment at the VCU Massey Cancer Center in Richmond. The first run was held at York River State Park before moving to the W&M campus. 
 
Since then, W&M's track and cross country teams have whole-heartedly embraced the 5K and what it means. Not to mention really running away with their fundraising efforts. From 2015-2020 alone, coaches and athletes helped raise $118,645. At the time, that was nearly half of the campaign's entire total. Last week, members of both programs also held what has become an athlete-favorite fundraising event—the annual bake sale outside of the Sadler Center. 
 
"This annual event is something that our student-athletes are passionate about because the unfortunate fact is that just about everyone has had a close friend or loved one battle cancer," Heacock said. "It's incredible that our program has had the privilege of being involved with the Massey Cancer Center for 35 years." 
 
Over those years, the partnership between W&M, the Crones, and the Massey Cancer Center has only strengthened, ensuring the 5K continues to affect serious change while allowing student-athletes the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on their community. 
 
"The work done by the fine doctors and researchers at Massey is an incredibly worthy cause," Heacock said, "and we are thrilled to partner with them as they continue their quest to fight and cure cancer through cutting-edge research and treatment."